The Gift
by Ginger S
Summary: A special bond between friends is often the perfect gift.


The Gift

by GCS

_**DISCLAIMER: "Emergency!" and its characters © Mark VII Productions, Inc. and Universal Studios. All rights reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction. This story is only written for entertainment. No financial gain is being realized from it. The story, itself, is the property of the author.**_

Sleepy eyes opened,

blinking slowly trying to clear the blurriness that made seeing almost impossible.

The incessant ringing in his ears kept him from hearing the crackling and creaking of the weakening structure.

Pain radiated from his leg, his right leg, his hip, his back, his chest and side and his head. Basically he hurt. He hurt all over, and he couldn't get up.

Then he slipped back into the oblivion of unconsciousness, not even fully aware of where he was or how he got there.

When he woke again he could feel the heat. He knew he needed to move away from it, but something had him pinned down and he just couldn't get his eyes to focus enough to see what it was.

The ringing in his ears had lessened, but had not stopped. In addition he thought he heard another familiar sound, a warning beep.

His air tank, it was the five minute warning that he was almost out of air.

Closing his eyes to the realization that he was in a world of trouble he gave in to the fatigue and pain and drifted again into nothingness.

"But Cap It's a week until Christmas. We have to find him. What'll I tell Joanne and the kids?"

"I know Pal, but you're not going back in there. You're going to sit right here in the squad just like I told you. You're knee is swollen, and I don't have to be a paramedic to see that you've injured your shoulder. You should be on your way to Rampart yourself. Just be glad I've let you stay until we find him. You stay here. We're going back in. We'll find him." With that Captain Stanley turned and he, Chet and Marco went back into the burning structure in search of their missing man.

He sat in the squad thinking about his friend. _'Come on partner. Give them a sign. Let Cap know where you are. Please don't give up. We need you.' _Thoughts were racing through his mind as he watched the many crews working to maintain the control they had gained. _'I can't just sit here. I have to find you. I know you're still alive. I'm coming.' _He slid out of the squad. Slowly he limped around to the back to get a new air bottle. He pulled the mask over his face and tightened it into place. Pulled his protective helmet on and turned toward the building. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Cap's not going to be happy about this." Mike Stoker had come up beside him. "You might need this." He handed him an axe. "Be careful." He patted him on the back and walked back to his position on the engine controls.

Limping into the structure he immediately felt drawn to the stairs. It was as though he was being driven to the second floor. He could hear Chet, Marco and Cap down the hall in front of him, but he somehow knew he had to go up. That's where he would find his partner. The second floor was in a shambles. The ceiling had collapsed. Much of the third floor now lay intermingled with the second floor furnishings.

Stumbling around and over debris he went deeper into the maze of wall, ceiling, and smoldering furniture. Pulled by an unexplainable force, he continued searching and hoping.

Cap didn't know he was in there, so he had to move quickly. He might even find his partner and get back out before he was missed. He knew Cap was right. His knee screamed with pains from his own injury and his shoulder was definitely dislocated, again, but that wouldn't stop him. He wouldn't have to tell Joanne and the kids that his partner hadn't survived this call. He just wouldn't do that. He had to find him.

He could hear a muffled beeping, a five minute warning beep. "Where are you partner? I can hear your tank."

Pulling a section of ceiling away so he could move across the room he was now in, the beeping grew louder. He used the axe to break apart a section of wall underneath and pushed away the sections. The glorious sound of the tank running out of air grew louder. "I'm here. I'm gonna get you out." He dug with more vigor. He threw debris like a child throws wrapping paper on Christmas morning.

There he was. Underneath the pile of sheet rock and ceiling, his partner lay still. Pulling off his glove and tentatively reaching for his wrist to check for a pulse. He smiled finding one. Reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out the HT he made the call that he knew would bring joy to his Captain and crew mates, but would also get him into a great deal of trouble for disobeying orders. "HT 51 to Engine 51."

"Engine 51." Captain Stanley didn't know the call from his paramedic was coming from inside the structure.

"Uh Cap. I found him. We're on the second floor third office on the right. I need some help up here."

"Engine 51 copy that. We're on the way. Stay put this time."

"10-4." He lowered himself down beside his friend and began checking his neck and back for injury. The beeping of his partner's tank had stopped meaning his air was out. He pulled his own mask off and lowered it to his friend. Miraculously he hadn't found any broken bones. Sure there was some serious bruising and a probable concussion based on the size of the lump on his forehead, and some tenderness in his ribs, possible fractures, but no major evidence of injury. He had just been trapped by the collapse and knocked unconscious.

"What have we got?" Captain Stanley asked coming into the room followed my Chet and Marco.

"I didn't find any broken bones or neck or back injuries. He was trapped. I dug him out. I need help carrying him. I uh I couldn't..m…my shoulder."

"Okay Pal. Chet and Marco will get him. I'll give you a hand." Captain Stanley offered his hand to help his paramedic stand and move out of the way of the other guys so they could carry their crew mate to safety. The four men came out of the building together and moved over beside the squad. "What do you need us to do?"

"Can you get him on the oxygen while I get his vitals? Oh and Chet can you get on the line to Rampart?"

In a short time both paramedics were loaded into an ambulance. Chet rode in the ambulance to assist. With one man unconscious and the other injured himself Captain Stanley didn't want to take any chances. Marco would bring in the squad. Mike and Hank would meet them at the hospital.

He stirred.

Sleepy eyes opened,

blinking slowly trying to clear the blurriness that made seeing almost impossible.

He recognized the familiar rocking of the back of an ambulance,

the antiseptic smell;

the cool sensation of liquid entering his vein through an IV.

He'd been injured, again.

Looking up from the gurney brown eyes met blue. "You're gonna to be just fine."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"I can see the strain in your eyes. Someone has wrapped your shoulder. Dislocated?"

"Yeah, but I'm taking care of you right now. Okay?"

"Yeah, but when we get to Rampart you get to see a doctor too. Okay?"

"Sure Pally."

The ambulance backed in and the doors swung open. Dr. Brackett and Dr. Early helped pull the gurney from the ambulance. Dixie came over with a wheel chair. The two paramedics were taken into the exam rooms. After careful examination they were wrapped, bandaged, and moved into a room together for at least one night.

Joanne had arrived and sat next to Roy's bed as he slept.

Johnny lay in his bed staring at the ceiling, thinking about how things could have turned out. He was thankful that everything had turned out well.

Until he had become partners with Roy he hadn't really had family. His parents had died long ago when he was still a teenager. His aunt was now in a nursing home, and he had spent most holidays alone or working. Now that he had become an honorary part of Roy's family he never had to be alone.

"Johnny are you okay?" Joanne asked him.

"I haven't had a chance to get Christmas presents for you and Roy. Now I'm here and probably won't get to. I have the kids stuff, but not yours."

"Oh Johnny, don't be silly." She said walking over beside his bed. "You've given me the best gift you could ever give. You gave me Roy, if you hadn't gone in that building today and found him I don't know what would have happened." She bent down and kissed his cheek. "There is no better Christmas gift than that of love Johnny. You proved your love for all of us today. Merry Christmas Sweetheart."


End file.
